A Simple Gesture
by Shin Chim Hye
Summary: Even a prodigy has the right to express his feelings.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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**A Simple Gesture**

**By: Snotty Chim-Chim **

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**Summary: **

After doing a tiresome Rank-D mission, Sasuke went missing. Sakura asked Naruto to look for him. But when Naruto finally found him, it is not the scene he expected to see. The most heart-breaking thing was… Uchiha Sasuke, his eternal rival, is crying…

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**Naruto's P.O.V **

I'm hungry. We had just finished a Rank-D mission. Yes, still a Rank-D. Wondering why a Rank-D mission wore me off? To tell you the truth, it's not that easy. And aside from being a loudmouth and hyperactive ninja as I already am, I made that mission into a rivalry. A competition between me and my lifetime rival, Uchiha Sasuke. He won, of course; as one would've expected from an Uchiha. But that's not the point. The point is… that tedious mission made me hungry. Because… to put it simply… I am Uzumaki Naruto. And that certain fact will never change.

As I was walking towards my favorite restaurant, the Ichiraku Ramen, I heard someone call my precious name.

"Naruto! Hey, Naruto!" an all-too-familiar voice shouted.

"What's the matter, Sakura-chan?" I asked the pink-haired girl I admired for so long, as she skidded to a halt in front of me.

"Have you seen Sasuke?" she asked, panting.

Of course, Uchiha Sasuke again. What's new? I expect nothing more to come out of her mouth than Sasuke this and Sasuke that.

"No, why?" I answered, getting curious.

What does she want with Sasuke now, eh? Can't she see I'm right here? Is she blind? Hello! I'm right here!

"He's missing! Sasuke's missing!" she answered hysterically.

"…"

Eh? Sasuke's missing? Yeah, right. As if Sasuke will get lost inside Konoha. But something told me there's more to it than simply getting lost.

"Naruto! Didn't you hear me? I said Sasuke's missing!"

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you. Maybe he already went home?" I suggested in an attempt to calm my hysterical teammate.

"No! He's not at his apartment, either! Oh my! Sasuke-kun, where did you go!" she said tearfully.

I wonder if I am the one missing, would anyone notice. Would Sakura-chan notice? Would she worry? And more importantly, would she even care?

"Look for him, Naruto, will you?" she said, breaking me out of my reverie.

"Huh? I beg your pardon." I blinked, not quite catching what she had just said.

"Can you look for him too, Naruto?" she said, tears already forming in her emerald eyes.

"Uh…"

"Please!"

Now, she's begging me to look for that bastard. And I cannot simply refuse. She is my all-time crush, after all. And even if I would not and refuse to admit it, Uchiha Sasuke is my best friend.

"Okay, I will look for him." Words of doom flow out of my mouth even before I realize it. Oh well, too late to turn back now.

"Arigatou, Naruto!" she smiled at me.

But it's not the same smile she always uses on Sasuke. Perhaps that smile is exclusively for Sasuke. How lucky he is.

I decided then and there to forget my precious ramen and look for that bastard first. This hungry stomach of mine can wait.

I jumped up the houses' roofs and began my search for Sasuke.

Seconds turn to minutes. Minutes turn to hours. The sun is already going down the horizon; yet, I haven't seen even one strand of Sasuke's hair. Where did that bastard teammate of mine go? Just as I think of abandoning my search for Sasuke, something clicked inside my small head. Something quite obvious. I turn to my right and heads for the riverbank.

As I reached the riverbank, a silhouette of Sasuke caught my eyes. I walk near the cause of my tiredness and hunger. But as I approach him, I noticed something… I saw something quite shocking…

The renowned Uchiha Sasuke is crying.

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**Sasuke's P.O.V**

After our mission, I headed straight to the riverbank. I don't know why but I simply feel like crying…

Maybe because I remember, yet again, my late parents. I felt the loneliness I always feel before I met Team 7. The loneliness I knew all-too-well.

It's getting late yet I don't want to go back to my solitary solace aside from Team 7, my apartment. I want to stay here at the riverbank where I can clearly see its calmness. It somehow soothes me to see the placid river. It's comforting…

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**Naruto's P.O.V**

I stood there, rooted on the spot. I hadn't expected this to happen. And I was quiet, for once.

It's shocking to know and to see the cold-hearted bastard I used to hate, cry. It's not something he will do, especially out in the open. But here he is, crying like a child.

I walked slowly towards him, afraid that he would turn around and run. When he did nothing of the sort, I calmly and quietly sat down beside him. After a few seconds, he finally noticed my presence. He simply looked at me for a moment and turns his head back to the river, tears falling ceaselessly from his onyx eyes.

It's heart-breaking to see him so vulnerable. I don't know what caused this sudden behavior but a part of me tells me to just keep my mouth shut. And need I mention that despite this circumstance, I am glad to finally locate and see him.

After sometime of sitting there doing nothing but think, a sudden thought hit me like a bullet. I put my hand inside my pocket and pulled something. Something that I wish could somehow give comfort to the weeping boy before me…

The next thing I knew, I did the very last thing one would have expected me to do… but it was the least thing I could do at the moment to somehow pacify him…

I offered to him my handkerchief.

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**Sasuke's P.O.V**

I felt a presence beside me and I turned to look at whoever the intruder was.

Naruto, the one I now consider my best friend.

I again focused my attention to the calm river before me, not even daring to stop what I was doing before he arrives.

I wish Naruto would go away. I'm afraid that he'll say something… something that will definitely destroy my peaceful crying moment. But he did nothing of the sort. Instead, he did something I hadn't expected…

He offered me his handkerchief.

I looked at him, quite surprised. I stared at the handkerchief clutched in his hands and turned my gaze back at his face.

He smiled warmly at me.

I took the handkerchief from him but didn't use it. He still sits beside me, as quiet as before. Never breaking the comfortable silence… never breaking this tender moment.

And for the first time, just this once, I appreciated his presence. For his presence told me that it's okay to cry… that everything will be alright… that no matter what my dream is, I am still the boy they used to love… the boy they used to look up at… the boy they respect with their whole being…

I appreciated the presence of my usually loudmouth teammate… The presence of my so-called rival… The presence of the boy who dreams of becoming a Hokage… The presence of my best friend.

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**Naruto's P.O.V**

I smiled warmly at him as his gaze fell on me, wishing that it would somehow cheer him up.

He took my handkerchief but, surprisingly enough, didn't make use of it. Yet, I am glad that he, at least, acknowledged my presence.

The one thing I longed and strived so hard to be acknowledged. To be acknowledged especially by him…

I stay still and remain quiet at his side. I don't want to break this magical moment; when none of us is talking… just a comfortable silence residing between the two of us. I don't want to break this gentle moment.

I gaze at the stars above with a small smile gracing my face. I will forever treasure this tender moment… this moment when no words need to be spoken… when no words need to be spoken for one to understand the other…

This warm moment with my best friend.

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**Sasuke's P.O.V**

I know it's only a simple gesture. Just a simple one yet it has a great impact on me. A simple one yet I treasured it all the same.

His simple gesture of offering to me his handkerchief and staying here with me… patiently and quietly waiting…

His simple gesture saved me from the darkness and loneliness that still haunts me every waking moment of my life. The same darkness that nearly consumed my whole being; the one that nearly drove me to kill him.

And for that simple yet profound gesture, I thank him. If he only knew how much it saved me. I wish I would have the nerve to tell him that…

And I wish that someday, in my own little way, I can repay him.

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**Aftermath**

**Naruto's P.O.V**

We never talked about that day. I know, even if he won't say it, that he wants it to remain a secret; a secret just between the two of us. I know he doesn't want others to know about that. And I, as his best friend, will do whatever he wishes. I will keep my mouth shut and never bring up the topic…

But, even so, I will always treasure that memory: the moment when, for once, we didn't argue.

When unspoken words were clearly heard… when unspoken words were easily understood… when our hearts converse and intertwined… when we interconnected… when, I know, both of us cherished our moment together…

And I also know, deep inside my heart, that when the time comes… when I am the one feeling the same way he did that day… I can count on him to do the same for me.

Because not only is he my eternal rival but, more importantly, my best friend.

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**Sasuke's P.O.V**

We never talked about that day. I want it to remain a secret; a secret just between the two of us. I want him to keep his mouth shut and never bring up the topic… because when he did, I don't know if I can ever tell him the reason as to why I was crying that day.

I will always treasure that memory: the moment when, for once, we didn't argue.

When unspoken words were clearly heard… when unspoken words were easily understood… when our hearts converse and intertwined… when we interconnected… when, I know, both of us cherished our moment together…

I want to forever treasure it. To forever treasure the moment… the moment when the one I used to consider as my rival saved me… saved me from further falling into the abyss… of darkness…

And when the time comes… when he is the one undergoing the same feeling I did that day… I want him to know that he can count on me to do the same act of kindness to him.

Because not only is he my eternal rival but, more importantly, my best friend.

**Owari**

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**Author's Note: **

I solely and whole-heartedly dedicate this fanfic to my best friend, the one who's always there for me… especially during my toughest moment.

Anyway, what do you think of the fanfic? Let me know through your reviews!

**Review, review and review!**

**Ja ne!**


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